Pope Francis Does Not Think You Should Be on Your Phone at the Dinner Table

Pope Francis is extremely opposed to people checking Instagram and texting while sitting down for a meal with their family and friends. This week, while speaking to young people at a college, he used a dramatic analogy to warn about the death of face-to-face conversations. He said,

When we’re at the table, when we are speaking to others on our telephones, it’s the start of war because there is no dialogue.

He also encouraged people to be nicer to strangers, even in a culture where online interactions can quickly become hostile, saying,

We need to lower the tone a bit, speak less and listen more … dialogue which brings hearts closer together [is] a medicine against violence.

Solid advice.